Container
A container that can hold a liquid, such as paint, or a granulated material includes a side wall portion, a bottom portion formed at one end of the side wall portion, and a well region formed in the bottom portion. The bottom portion includes an inclined surface. Alternatively, the bottom portion can be shaped to be frustoconical, hemispherical or an inverted pyramid.
The present patent application claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/529,542 filed Dec. 15, 2003, invented by Dwight Rockwell, III, entitled “Container”, and incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a container that can hold a liquid or a granular material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Containers, such as paint buckets, are generally formed to have a flat bottom surface. When the level of material is low, such a container must be tipped in order for the material contained therein to be more easily accessible. Accordingly, such a container is not stable while it is tipped.
Consequently, what is needed is a container that is not required to be tipped for easily accessing material contained therein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a container that is not required to be tipped for easily accessing material contained therein.
The advantages of the present invention are provided by a container that can hold a liquid, such as paint, or a granulated material includes a side wall portion, a bottom portion formed at one end of the side wall portion, and a well region formed in the bottom portion. According to the invention, the bottom portion includes an inclined surface. Alternatively, the bottom portion can be shaped to be frustoconical, hemispherical or inverted pyramidal. The container can also include a plurality of hook members formed at an end of the side wall portion that is distal from the bottom portion.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not by limitation in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:
Container 100 is suitable for holding liquids and granular materials. As the level of contents of container 100 gets lower, the contents accumulate in well region 103 without container 100 being required to be tipped. The angle of sloped bottom surface 102 forms with a horizontal line (not shown) can vary depending on the viscosity of the liquid or the granularity of the material that will be contained in container 100. When the contents is a liquid, such as paint, the intake portion of a suction tube (not shown), such as for a paint sprayer, can be disposed in well region 103 to draw the paint into the paint sprayer. When the content of container 100 is a granular material, the granular material can exit through an opening 106 that is located in well region 103. Opening 106 can be a part of well region 103 that can be prescored and removed if desired. Alternatively, opening 106 can be formed in well region 103 and include a stopper or cover (not shown) so that material can be held within container 100.
While the shape of container 100 is shown to be generally cylindrical, it should be understood that a container according to the present invention can be different from generally cylindrical, such as square, rectangular or oval. Though not so limited, container 100 could be as small as the size of a one-gallon paint bucket or as large as a 55-gallon drum. Moreover, while sloped bottom surface 102 is shown as being a generally planar surface, it should also be understood that bottom surface 103 can have other shapes, such as frustoconical, hemispheric or an inverted pyramid. Further still, while well region 103 is shown as being off-center from a longitudinal axis (not shown), it should be understood that well region 103 could be centrally located with respect to such a longitudinal axis. Additionally, while a hollow space is depicted below sloped bottom surface 102 in
Alternatively, the lid could have an opening that is sufficiently large to allow a screened intake for a siphon hose for a spray compression to be passed through the opening. The opening in the lid would then be positioned above well region 103 when the lid is placed on the container and the screened intake for the siphon hose would be lowered into well region 103.
Container 100 can be formed from materials such as plastic, metal, wood or ceramic, or a combination of any of these materials. Accordingly, exemplary lids 400 and 600 can also be made from materials such as plastic, metal, wood or ceramic, or a combination of any of these materials.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced that are within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A paint bucket, comprising:
- a side wall portion of the paint bucket;
- a bottom portion formed at one end of the side wall portion of the paint bucket; and
- a well region formed in the bottom portion of the paint bucket,
- an intersection of the bottom portion and a plane passing through the well region and traversing the side wall portion from a first location on the side wall portion that is proximate to the well region to a second location on the side wall portion that is substantially opposite the first location and distal to the well region comprising an inclined surface that comprises a constant increasing slope from the first location on the sidewall to the second location on the sidewall, and
- the paint bucket being hand-carryable.
2. The paint bucket according to claim 1, wherein the paint bucket is capable of holding a liquid.
3. The paint bucket according to claim 2, wherein the liquid comprises paint.
4. The paint bucket according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hook members formed at an end of the side wall portion that is distal from the bottom portion, each hook member being capable of receiving a paint strainer that is capable of straining paint passing through the paint strainer into the paint bucket as the paint strainer is received by the hook members.
5. The paint bucket according to claim 1, wherein the paint bucket is formed from a material comprising plastic.
6. The paint bucket according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the paint bucket is formed from a material comprising one of metal, wood and a ceramic material.
7. The paint bucket according to claim 1, further comprising a lid.
8. The paint bucket according to claim 7, wherein the lid comprises an opening that can be positioned above the well-region when the lid is on the paint bucket.
9. The paint bucket according to claim 7, wherein the lid further comprises a lift tab arrangement associated with the opening.
10. The paint bucket according to claim 7, wherein the lid comprises an opening that accommodates a siphon hose.
11. The paint bucket according to claim 7, wherein the lid comprises an opening that accommodates a fixture that accommodates a siphon hose.
12. The paint bucket according to claim 7, wherein the lid comprises an opening fixture adapted to receive a siphon hose.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 14, 2004
Date of Patent: Aug 5, 2008
Patent Publication Number: 20050139602
Inventor: Dwight Rockwell, lll (Bandon, OR)
Primary Examiner: Anthony D Stashick
Assistant Examiner: Harry A Grosso
Attorney: Joseph P. Curtin, L.L.C.
Application Number: 10/905,074
International Classification: B65D 6/28 (20060101); B65D 8/04 (20060101); B65D 8/06 (20060101);